20+ Questions to Jump-start Your Career Exploration

Below you will find questions meant to prompt your career exploration. Take time to reflect on each question, as a strong understanding of yourself will be essential to effectively navigate the twists and turns of your unique career path. Get to know your values, personality type, strengths, and interests, as these all deeply inform your satisfaction with career choice.

It is perfectly normal if you do not immediately know the answers to some of these questions; these are intentionally difficult questions. Some of your answers will remain constant throughout your career, while others will shift and adjust as you and your career continue to grow and develop. Remember this is not the finish line; it is just the beginning and you should return to these questions often. With each new experience comes the opportunity to reflect on how you’ve grown, changed, and evolved, and to evaluate where that may lead you next.

  1. What is important to me?
  2. What careers seem interesting to me? Why?
  3. Who has influenced my ideas about my career options?
  4. What jobs might I consider as a parallel plan? (Plan B, Plan C, etc.)
  5. What career paths can I cross off my list?
  6. How do I want to be remembered?
  7. What impact do I want to make on the world?
  8. What topics and ideas spark my curiosity?
  9. What do I “geek” over? What could I talk about for hours?
  10. What do I have to offer others?
  11. What comes naturally to me?
  12. How do I like to spend my time?
  13. What are my favorite classes, and why?
  14. What extracurricular activities do I enjoy? What have I learned about myself from participating in the activities?
  15. Who do I look up to? What about them inspires or motivates me?
  16. What personal qualities do I view as my strengths?
  17. What activities make me feel happy or energized?
  18. When do I feel most comfortable and at ease?
  19. What are the biggest lessons I’ve learned so far?
  20. How do I define success?
  21. If I were guaranteed success, what would I do?
  22. When have I been most inspired or most motivated?
  23. If I could choose a tattoo for myself, what might it be? Why?
  24. If I had a magic wand, what would I do for a year?

Make an appointment with your Advisor for Career Exploration (ACE) to discuss these topics and explore different types of assessment and reflection activities. Your ACE will help you reflect on your experiences throughout college so that you graduate with a strong sense of self and goals for your future.